


Quality Time Together

by TheRainbowFox



Series: Thasmin Week - January 19 [6]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Confessions, Cute, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Holidays, Thasmin Week (Doctor Who), Thasmin Week 2019 (Doctor Who), Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 02:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17540849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRainbowFox/pseuds/TheRainbowFox
Summary: Having adventures is fun and all, but Team TARDIS could use a break. Welcome to the Mars Bio-Domes! A pocket resort for everyone to enjoy. As the boys go and explore, the Doctor takes Yaz to a private little location, where they can just enjoy each other's company.





	Quality Time Together

**Author's Note:**

> It's time for more fluff!  
> I'm actually really sad this ends tomorrow, but it has been so much fun.  
> Hope it's been fun for you guys too~

Thasmin Week - Prompt Six - First Kiss

 

Having been unable to keep herself occupied for the duration, much to the chagrin of the TARDIS - who’s parts still remained scattered in various piles across the floor - the Doctor decided to skip forward in time a little to catch her companions up. Although, a shrill whine reminded her that she really needed to tidy up first.

 “I’m sorry. You know I get like this when I’m bored.”

 Her words were answered by a triplet of beeps.

 “Of course I’m going to put you back together!”

 Silence.

 “Fine. I promise I’ll leave you alone for the next few days. Okay, a week. I’m sorry, again.”

 Sliding the welding mask back over her face and proudly brandishing her sonic screwdriver, the Doctor set back to work on clearing up her ‘orderly’ mess of TARDIS parts. All she had wanted to do was mess with the telepathic circuitry, make things a bit easier for others to understand the TARDIS. But the sentient ship was having none of the tinkering, throwing out sparks and smoke before the Time Lord ceased her meddling. She much preferred talking to the companions in a mechanical format, revelling in their inability to understand her charm and humour.

 The Doctor, on the other hand, was tired of her ship playing tricks on her fam. Changing their room layouts. Removing them entirely. Hiding personal belongings. One time, she heard Graham cursing from the kitchen because the sprinklers had turned on when he tried to make eggs. Another, Ryan was sent around in circles for two hours trying to get to his computer. And Yaz…Yaz kept wandering into whatever room the Doctor was in. A lot. Once she had even walked into the bathroom while she was having a shower.

 

That…was an experience.

 

“What? I was not! Will you _please_ mind your own business?”

 The console sparked as the Doctor yelped. She really hated when the TARDIS poked into her thoughts. Especially at the worst times. All she needed to do was reconnect a bunch of wires, screw the panels back on and then go and pick up her companions. Easy.

 Or it would be, if her mind would stay focused on the task at hand.

 Each time she tried to concentrate on resetting wires, she would think of Yaz. Not intentionally. How she could relate delicate craftsmanship to one of her companions was beyond her understanding. Maybe she had too much time to think. Most of the time she was running around, saving the world, righting the wrongs. Or, she was sending her companions home. Sometimes they would have nice, normal adventures. Chill time. But it was so few and far between that the Doctor actually found herself craving normality.

 She had agreed to take them on a trip once they returned to the TARDIS. Although she was still deciding what the best option was. She could take them to Atmos-7, a planet where everything was built in the sky and lived in a perpetual sunset. There was also the beach resort of Oshana on Melphazor, with purple water and blue sand.

 

 

Yaz had found herself struggling to adjust back to a normal life this time around. Whether it was because her job was still stagnant, she was still on small nuisance cases, or because her family kept asking questions about her friends, it made no difference. Something about sleeping in her own home, in her own bed, felt wrong now. She missed the soothing hum of the TARDIS, the sound of Ryan and Graham bickering, and especially the Doctor.

 Whether she was mindlessly tinkering with the TARDIS, or explaining one of the many wonders of the universe, Yaz found herself pining for the blonde’s presence. Sure, most of their time together was spent running away from danger. Fixing problems. Righting wrongs. But it gave her the thrill and sense of purpose that was missing from her job as an officer. Out in space, she could actually live up to the role she had trained for.

 And that was both disheartening and wonderful.

 She sat in her room, eyes always glancing down at her phone to check the time. She knew when the Doctor was supposed to be coming, she had several reminders going off at various times. But the anticipation was killing her.

 It was no secret that since coming back to the TARDIS so many months ago, that she had formed a bit of an attachment to the Doctor. She was just so…pragmatic and alluring. Over the course of their adventures that attachment had grown into the smallest of crushes. Which only proceeded to get bigger and bigger as time passed. Yaz knew that her friends had picked up on it. They always stood on the sidelines when she had her moments with the Doctor, or Ryan would casually send her the smirking emoji through text just to annoy her.

 Her mother’s questioning so early on really riled her, but at least she was ‘considerate’ enough to include Ryan into the possible equation. Although, that did basically leave her sexuality on display. The only thing that bothered her about that was the possibility that the Doctor would think differently of her. She seemed relatively dismissive of the ‘are you two seeing each other’ question, and Yaz was still unsure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Snapping her out of deep thought, she felt her phone vibrate against the bed sheets.

 

Come on I know you’re checking your phone all the time. Can’t keep ignoring me

 

I am not!

 

:| mhmm sure

 

What do you want Ryan?

 

Wanna make sure you’re ok cant a mate do that

 

No, seriously, want do you want Ryan?

 

Chill I just wanted to know if you were gonna say anything today. You know. To the Doc. So me and Graham can make ourselves scarce.

 

What do you mean say something?!

 

Look. Yaz. Mate. We all see you giving the Doc puppy eyes. AND how she lingers around you. Honestly. It’s gonna be fine. Just do something about it because it’s kinda getting way too obvious now. Neither of you are THAT oblivious. Surely.

 

With a loud groan, Yaz threw her phone into her pillow and soon dropped her face next to it. Despite every bone in her body spoiling for a fight, she knew her friend was right. And was only trying to look out for her. Even if Ryan was the worst wingman in the world. Still, she would take him over her sister or parents any day of the week. He really was trying his best. Turning her head to the side, Yaz picked her phone back up and slowly wrote a message back. Only one word, but it was the best she could come up with.

 

FINE

 

The last of the reminders rang out through her bedroom, causing her mother to peer around her door.

 “You’re either really popular today, or something is going on.”

 Quickly sitting herself back up and fumbling around until the alarm tone stopped, Yaz looked over to her mum and smiled. Desperately trying to hide the mild panic.

 “Just Ryan, keeps texting me. Gonna head out in a bit to see him and Graham.”

 “Oh, just the three of you? No Doctor? I thought you two were inseparable.”

 Yaz was irked that her mother had evidently been keeping track of how often she mentioned the Doctor. Of course she had. But she found it nigh impossible not to, and filtering her conversations about her trips was already hard enough without erasing a whole person as well.

 “She’s busy. Working actually. Might see her later, but it depends.”

 Lying to her mother was the worst, and Yaz couldn’t work out if it had gotten easier or her mother had just stopped caring. With a smile, Najia turned and left before shouting out to her.

 “Don’t forget, your father and I are off to see your Nani later, so don’t forget your keys. Sonya will probably be out again too.”

 Another vibration from her phone caught her attention.

 

Good. Now come on. Doc’s gonna be here soon. You know she’s never late.

 

Placing her phone in her jacket pocket, Yaz quickly straightened out her duvet before heading out of her bedroom. Before she left, she gave her mum a hug, loudly picking up the keys before she headed outside. The Doctor had said she would pick all of them up from Graham’s house. The TARDIS apparently liked his living room very much and had promised to not break anything else. The incident was blamed on the Time Lord, and Yaz was still amazed at how the two bickered like a married couple.

 The weather was surprisingly mild for August, and Yaz found herself shrinking into the collar of her leather jacket and rubbing her cheeks against the faux fur lining. All she had to do was survive the fifteen minute walk, but that also meant fifteen minutes of thinking time. Time to think about how she was going to go about talking to the Doctor. Explaining how she felt. Opening up to something incredibly personal. Something that could easily be rejected. She had to think of how to cope in the event of such a thing happening. Could she really keep travelling with them all if she was spurned? Only time would tell. And soon she would have her answers.

 Frozen fingers pressed against the doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened, Graham smiling back at her.

 “Alright sunshine, come on in. Thought you weren’t coming then.”

 Shuffling into the small hallway, Yaz rounded the corner into the living-dining room, catching sight of Ryan waving at her. She sat down on the sofa, feeling a playful jab at her side.

 “Of course she’s coming, grandad. She can’t keep away.”

 “Oi!”

 Returning the jab, Yaz glared at her friend. She was unaware of how much Graham actually knew, but she started to suspect the two boys had been talking. Their familial bond had greatly increased over their travels. Especially after the incident with Ryan’s dad. As much as he looked to be happy with him, considering he saved him from a supernova, they still had a very strained and fragile relationship. Graham practically was his father now, never mind step-grandad.

 “It’s alright Yaz, not gonna be getting any trouble from me. Just wanna see you’re alright as much as anyone else.”

 She sighed, looking down at the floor. As much as it felt good to have support from both of her friends, it also made her feel more nervous about the whole thing. Like having a captive audience, people just…waiting to see what happened. But it was her thing, her moment, nobody else’s. And if anything did go wrong then at least she had support for that too. She hoped.

 “Kind of figured it wouldn’t be long before Ryan spilled the beans on this.”

 “Like I said in the text, Yaz, it’s pretty damn obvious right now. Graham’s not that blind.”

 Before she could come up with a retort, the atmosphere in the room shifted. A faint breeze travelled through the room as the familiar sound of whirring engines and whistling echoed around them. The doctor really was surprisingly good at time-keeping when it came to pick-ups. Not so much drop-offs. Or anything else. But she suspected it was the TARDIS being in control of the situation.

 

As the big blue box materialised in the living room, and keeping up her promise of not breaking anymore furniture, all three of the companions moved closer together and headed towards the doors. As the doors opened outwards towards them, a rather flustered Doctor staggered out.

 “Hi team! Won’t seem like it to you but I couldn’t wait any longer. And I don’t think the old girl could deal with my tinkering anymore. Been apologising for three hours now, still not getting anywhere. Anyway, come on in!”

 Chuckling to himself, Ryan was the first one to step into the TARDIS, curiosity leading him to wonder what the Doctor had been up to. Since completing his NVQ, he had been much more interested in how the spaceship worked. Although still not allowed to touch anything, he was sometimes let in on a few bits of knowledge. Graham soon followed, hanging his heavy jacket up on the coat rack and smiling as he passed the Time Lord. Yaz felt herself pausing, unsure if she was staring into the console room or focussing her intention on the blonde.

 “Yaz? You alright?”

 Shaking her head, Yaz hurried into the TARDIS.

 “Yeah, sorry. Mind’s a bit spacey today.”

 “Thought it was my job to be all over the place? Anyway, let’s get a shift on. The universe still has loads to offer you all.”

 As the three companions talked on about how their time at home had been, Yaz found herself offloading her stresses. How work still wasn’t going anywhere, and how awful it made her feel. Never mind the stress of stupid paperwork deadlines that were impossible to keep to unless she stayed up every night. Which might have happened for a few nights. The Doctor came over towards her and rested her hands on her shoulders, the familiar soft smile warming her heart.

 “Oh, that’s no good. No good at all. Guess it’s time for a vacation. What do you say, fam?”

 The Doctor turned her head towards Ryan and Graham. As both of them nodded, Ryan looking particularly excited about the prospect of a holiday, the Time Lord pulled back and turned her attention to the console. A small screen popped up, full of lists in a language none of the others could understand. The TARDIS hummed quietly.

 “So. What kind of vacation do you lot want? Everything is an option. Just give me an idea and the TARDIS will take us wherever she thinks is best.”

 Ryan noted that he normally only ever went on holidays with his mates, and that involved beaches and way too much alcohol. Graham mused over a woodland retreat, having been thinking about one since their trip to Norway. Yaz was torn. If her family ever went on holiday, it was normally to India. The only other trip she had been on was one with her school, where all the kids went skiing. Considering how stressed she had been, somewhere she could relax in the warm sounded like the best idea. After a few minutes of brain storming ideas, the three of them agreed that a tropical location would suit them just fine.

 “Oh, I like it. Loads of places like that around. My personal favourite is on the planet Sycaros, but I think it’s a bit too hot for you lot. Time Lords are better with heat, like, hotter than a sauna heat.”

 After pressing a multitude of buttons, the Doctor flipped her hourglass and held on to the console. Ryan, Graham and Yaz each took hold as well, feeling the TARDIS start shifting underneath them.

 “So Doc, where exactly are we going?”

 “No idea. I’ll tell you when we land. Proper excited though!”

 

As the TARDIS came to a halt, defaulting back to a faint buzzing, the Doctor snapped her fingers and gleefully watched the doors swing open. She glanced her eyes over the screen and squeaked as she raced over to look outside. Turning back, she waved her arm to gather the rest of the gang over. Graham was the first one over for a change, followed by Ryan and Yaz. The three of them looked outside and let out varying kinds of gasps.

 “Right then team, welcome to Mars! Thirty-third century Mars to be exact. You lot actually made good on your promise of colonizing the place. Just took a while. Although, this place is basically just a giant series of mini resorts.”

 Outside the doors, the world was vibrant and muggy. Tropical trees and plants stretched as far as the eye could see, topped off with brightly coloured flowers and a beautiful blue sky. Birds and insects called out and fluttered overhead. Ever the curious, Ryan was the first to speak up.

 “Mini resorts?”

 “Yeah. Like. The surface of Mars is littered with these giant bio-domes. Full to the brim of nature. Comes with beaches, pools, whatever you want really. Can fit up to twenty people inside, per dome. It’s fully catered too, with a treehouse lodge. Always wanted to come here, never had the chance. What do you think?”

 Graham made his way outside of the TARDIS, hands running over a particularly impressive shrub. Sure enough, the leaves were rubbery and spotted with moisture from the air.

 “Blimey. That’s one heck of an idea.”

 Ryan soon followed, unable to settle on where he wanted to look first. He was having a hard time believing that all of it was real. Leaning up against the doorframe, Yaz, looked up to the sky and pondered.

 “Doctor. If this is some kind of dome, how come there’s sky? I mean, wouldn’t we be able to see space instead?”

 Feeling a pat on her back, Yaz turned her attention to the Doctor, who was beaming at her.

 “Excellent observation Yaz! Another gold star for you. You see, normally you would be seeing space. Quite a bit of it actually. But along with artificial atmosphere, the people who made these also included natural light cycles. So you only see space when it’s deemed night time.”

 Each word came with an exaggerated gesture, causing her to smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Ryan staring with a smug grin. There was barely any time to say anything before the Doctor was off again.

 “If you come back in for a minute, I’ll park the TARDIS inside the lodge. Perfectly feasible. Also, all of our belongings are in here, and I don’t see you lot fancying a trek just to get a new shirt or something. Once we’re in, well, you can go do whatever you want.”

 

After another short trip, the TARDIS parked herself for a second time. When the doors opened, the scenery had changed as promised. A grand spiral staircase wound around the centre of the tree trunk itself, up to the next floor. Wooden panels lined the walls, floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over a vast balcony and the forest around them. Open plan living and dining took up most of the floor space, with part of the kitchen peeking out from behind a wall.

 The Doctor skipped out into the room, twirling around in her coat with arms stretched out.

 “So! Go and have fun. There’s maps on the TARDIS and I recon you’ll wanna get changed into shorter clothes. Definitely not coat weather here. Stay out as long as you want, explore the area. Oh, word of warning, technically only two bedrooms here but four beds so that’s nice.”

 Giving another playful jab at Yaz, Ryan quickly bounded off into the TARDIS and headed for the wardrobe. Or one of them at least.

 “Hold up, son! Don’t go getting lost again!”

 Graham gave an apologetic look towards the Doctor before hurriedly walking after him. Yaz poked her head out of the TARDIS doors, smiling as she watched the blonde bounce around the room.

 “Doctor, you might want to think about changing too. I mean, it can’t be too comfortable in that coat. Honestly, I’m getting hot just looking at you.”

 No sooner had the last phrase fallen from her lips, did Yaz begin to panic. She knew perfectly well what she meant. She meant temperature. And she thanked the stars that Ryan was not around to hear her say that. Her eyes widened as the Doctor paused her curious exploration, mind repeating prayers over and over again.

 “Yeah, guess you’re right. It is a bit warm, isn’t it? Come on Yaz, you can help me pick something out.”

_‘That either went better than expected or I just proved Ryan wrong.’_

 

The boys, both decked out in shirts and shorts, headed off together to go explore the area. More specifically, to check out the food for later on. It was soon going to be time for dinner, and Ryan was more curious about what was on offer when the Doctor mentioned ‘fully catered’. Yaz, meanwhile, found herself inside one of the many TARDIS wardrobes as she waited for the Time Lord to re-emerge. She had already found a set of clothes waiting for her, neatly folded atop a stool.

 A flowing blue top, short sleeved and ruffled, sat above a pair of loose cotton trousers. Yaz already felt a million degrees cooler than before. She appreciated the sandals that were in the pile as well. Due to the humidity, her hair had begun to tighten up into curls again. Most of her hair was tied up into a bun, but small strands tickled the sides of her face. She had lost track of how long the Doctor had been inside the changing room, and Yaz felt half tempted to knock on the door and ask what was taking so long.

 As she stepped closer, the door opened, revealing the Doctor and her new choice of outfit. Suddenly, Yaz was much too warm again.

 “Guess this will have to do. Really need to stock up better for warm weather, forgot how many trousers I own. Think it looks alright?”

 The Doctor wore a light blue shirt, button-up and decorated with small flowers, with sleeves cut off just at the tops of her arms. Washed out denim jeans, reaching mid-thigh, covered her drastically pale legs. She still kept on her brown boots, although looked to be wearing much shorter and not-wool socks with them. Much like her own hair, the Time Lord’s own had fallen into very loose waves, one side tucked behind her ear.

 Yaz could feel herself staring, unable to look away. For a moment, she was convinced that the Doctor was staring back at her.

“Yeah. Yeah, that…it looks good on you. I mean, it suits you.”

_‘Damn it!’_

 With a smile, the Doctor wrapped her arms around her companion for a quick hug before stepping back again.

 “Aww, thanks Yaz! I think the TARDIS did amazing with yours. You look lovely. Now then, what shall we do first, hmm?”

_‘The Doctor just called you lovely…’_

 

“Well, you could come take a look at the forest with me? Never seen anything as beautiful as this place. Really want to go and explore. You don’t have to if you don’t want to though. I can just go wander on my own.”

 There was no logical reason as to why she just gave the Time Lord an option to not go with her. Yaz was hoping with everything she had that the Doctor would come with her. She could hear the TARDIS hum louder, trying to work out what she was trying to do. The Doctor looked up at the ceiling for a moment, resting her hands on her hips. After a few beeps, and the Doctor shushing the TARDIS for some reason, hazel-green eyes turned back to her.

 “Oh, exploration with Yaz. You don’t even have to ask. Let’s go! If I remember rightly, there’s…oh, wait, better yet it will be a surprise! Trust me, you’ll love it.”

 The Doctor gently took hold of Yaz’s hand, leading her from out of the wardrobe room. Unlike her usual fast pace, which sometimes involved very intense running away from things, Yaz noticed that the Doctor was walking a lot slower and seemed to be calmer too. It was easy to walk at her side, rather than being dragged along. With a snap of her fingers, the TARDIS doors shut and the ship quietly went into standby mode.

 Exiting the lodge through a set of double doors, Yaz sighed in content as she looked out at her surroundings. A short bridge took them over to another tree, with a similar staircase to the one inside the lodge. Spinning around and down the tree trunk landed the pair on soft green grass that covered a sizeable area. The Doctor began walking towards a bark chip pathway.

 “You should be able to recognise most of these plants. This particular cluster of domes is more Earth-friendly. Some of them have, what you would consider, alien flora. Although, once it gets dark, you’ll see that some of the trees and bushes are bioluminescent. All sorts of colours come out at night.”

 Yaz had never felt happier. Her walk through the forest with the Doctor was better than she ever could have imagined. Whenever she stopped to admire something, the Time Lord would talk about it. She was like a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge and small facts. Just hearing her endlessly ramble on was enough to make her inwardly swoon. Especially at the times when the Doctor would hold her hand tighter, or guide her towards flowers to smell them.

 She had completely forgotten that Somewhere out there, Ryan and Graham were probably talking about what they were up to together. The journey ended with the Doctor stopping abruptly, turning around and holding both hands behind her back. Yaz was unsure how far into the tropical forest they had gone, but she could hear the sound of running water, and noticed that the sky was pulling back to reveal the beautiful view of space above.

 

“Doctor, why have we stopped?”

 “So I can show you what I wanted to show you. Now, close your eyes. And keep them shut. I’ll guide you, okay?”

 

Yaz stared at the Doctor for a moment, feeling increasingly confused. But, she had complete faith in whatever idea she was trying to pull off. Shrugging her shoulders, she closed her eyes like she was asked. For a moment, nothing happened, until two hands were placed on her shoulders and slowly guided her forwards. Leaves and branches tickled her face as the sound of running water grew louder. Not deafening, but also not completely tranquil. Once the feeling of foliage faded away, there was another pause before hands squeezed her.

 “Right then Yaz, you can open your eyes now.”

 And she did.

 “Oh my god…Doctor…this is…”

 A small clearing sat before her, dominated by a teal watered pool. From atop a small rock face, water rained down from a giant leaf. It looked to be at least thirty feet wide. The water filled the pool, with the edges lined with rocks of varying sizes. Birds flew between the thick canopied trees and stars reflected in the water itself. Some of the flowers had already begun to glow faintly, in hues ranging from pink to yellow. Yaz could feel herself choking up.

 “It’s a secret spot. There’s always a secret spot. This one is special though. The stars make it look like the water is actually glitter. And, it’s just cool enough to be refreshing. Perfect relaxing spot really.”

 The Doctor paused, having not heard anything else from her companion. Letting go of her shoulders, she walked around until she faced Yaz, crouching down a little.

 

“Yaz?”

 “So beautiful…”

 

Feeling quite content with the answer, and not noticing that her companion was now blushing furiously, the Doctor took hold of her hands again and guided her towards the water.

 “Fancy a little dip?”

 Yaz sat herself down on the grassy edge, eyes transfixed on the water. It really did look like glitter. Kind of like the weird snow globes she used to see as a child. Rolling up the legs of her trousers, her eyes eventually turned back to the Doctor. Somehow, she had already removed her boots and socks and was dangling her legs into the water, back pressed into the grass and smiling. Yaz fiddled with the buckles on her sandals, placing them some distance away before copying the blonde.

 As promised, the water was cool, but not cool enough to make her feel cold. It was the perfect temperature to deal with the humid air. Feeling more than content, Yaz lay back into the grass as well, looking up at the vast starry sky above her head. There was no trace of the dome itself being visible, it just looked like a normal night back on Earth. But the stars were much brighter.

 Tucking her hands behind her head, Yaz tilted her gaze back towards the Doctor.

 

“Thank you.”

 “What for?”

 Yaz chuckled.

 “For bringing me here. To see this. To just…have some time together where we aren’t running away from something or trying to save someone.”

 The Doctor rolled onto her side, propped up by one arm as the other rested on the grass.

 “No need to thank me. If anything, I’m sorry that normal life…hasn’t really been the best this time. Least I can do is give you some quiet time. And yes, I do mean you. Just don’t tell the boys, they’ll think I’m picking favourites. Which I totally am by the way, but don’t tell them that either.”

_‘Picking favourites? That’s a step in the right direction. Maybe I should say something…’_

 

Yaz pushed herself back up into a seated position, eyes looking at the space between her and the Doctor before travelling back to the water. The nerves had set in again, but she had made a half-promise to at least try and talk about what she was feeling. And there was no better opportunity than now.

 “Doctor, can I ask you something?”

 “Always.”

 With that one word, the Doctor sat up as well, watching her reflection dance across the water and mix together with the stars. In that moment, she noticed the second reflection. So beautiful, and so far away.

 “Do you mind if sit next to you?”

 “Of course not.”

 Both of their voices were quiet, almost whispers against the sound of the waterfall. Yaz shuffled across the grass and took her place besides the Doctor, feeling an arm rest around her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she took the opportunity to place one of her own around the Time Lord’s waist, pulling them side by side. Her fingers ghosted across the light blue shirt, just unable to touch directly. The two sat together in silence before the Doctor spoke up, resting her free hand atop Yaz’s own and making her hold on to her side.

 “This is nice.”

 Her eyes drifted back to the water, smile crossing her face at how both of them looked. Together. She could feel that there was something that Yaz was holding back, something she wanted to say, but couldn’t find the words.

 “You know, Yaz, it’s been a long time since I just sat down and enjoyed someone’s company. Normally everything is too chaotic. Haven’t felt like this in, well, not since I became me.”

  It was true. The Doctor as she knew herself now had not felt this good before. She could recall times where she had, but they were memories. Like watching someone else’s life, even though it was still hers. Being close to Yaz was becoming an instinct. Less of a desire and more something she had no control over. Something about her just drew the Time Lord in time and time again. There was a word for that feeling…but it scared her. Much more than ‘alive’ did.

 

Yaz sighed, closing her eyes. In her mind, she could see exactly how she wanted things to play out. But it was wishful thinking. Built up by fiction and unrealistic expectations. Nothing could ever live up to them. It was a fantasy. And despite how enjoyable it was, Yaz knew she had to start being realistic. And braver.

 “Doctor, there’s something I want to ask you. But I’m not sure if I can. I keep finding opportunities to do so, but always back out. It’s not because I’m scared, or maybe it’s a different kind of fear I can’t explain.”

 The Doctor turned her head towards her companion, eyes soft.

 “Sometimes, thinking too much stops us from doing the things we want to do. We think and feel too much, when really, all we need to do is take a step back and live in the moment. Ask, don’t ask. Do, don’t do. Like time, it’s all relative. If you can’t say it, why not show it? As contrived as the saying is, sometimes actions _do_ speak louder than words.”

 

That was all the commitment Yaz needed. She pulled the Doctor closer by her waist, free hand lifting up to cup her cheek as she turned her head and pressed their lips together. The Time Lord was warm. Soft. Safe. There were no fireworks in her heart or sparks flying, just the sound of the waterfall and her drumming heart. After a moment, she pulled away, opening her eyes.

 The Doctor’s pale skin had flushed pink and her eyes were wide.

 

Yaz instantly feared the worse, removing her hands and placing both of them in her lap, shifting her body to face away from the Time Lord. She felt stupid and foolish and…

 

“Oh. That was nice.”

 “Doctor, I’m sorry. It’s just that when you said to show you I-”

 

Yaz felt herself being turned around by needy hands as the Doctor closed the gap and kissed her. There was more urgency in the kiss she received, and Yaz responded by wrapping her arms around the Doctor’s waist again, fingers clinging tight to the fabric of the shirt. The apology she was going to give was soon lost in a haze as she pulled back for air.  
  
”Woah.”

_‘Excellent repsonse Yaz…’_

 

For a moment, nothing was said before the pair broke into quiet laughter. The Doctor took one of her hands and gently cupped her companion’s flushed cheek, rubbing her thumb across her skin.

 “If all you wanted to ask me was how I felt about you, then I hope that answers your question, Yasmin Khan. And yeah, it is scary. I feel it too. So much. But I made a promise to myself that I would never give up hope. Never stop being kind. And certainly _never_ stop loving. And you…and this…who knows what happens. But right now, it feels right. This moment is right. _You_ , are right.”

Pressing further into the comforting touch, Yaz allowed herself to fall into the Doctor, resting her head on her shoulder as her arms moved to hold her close. She could feel the dual heartbeats pounding in time with her own and heard the Doctor sigh as she rubbed a hand up and down her spine.

 

She had just kissed the Doctor.

And the Doctor had kissed her back.  
  
Yaz knew then that she had made the right decision, and was more than happy to stay where she was. The boys would be fine without them for a while longer. For now, all she wanted was quiet time. Together. With her Doctor.


End file.
